System and method for implementing an additional game to players of a lottery game

ABSTRACT

A system and method for providing an additional or end-of-game drawing to players of a lottery game is provided. In one embodiment, unique validation codes provided on lottery tickets can be encrypted using an algorithm and used to create a record of such encrypted codes. A player then participates in the lottery and subsequently submits the validation code from the ticket to a lottery provider. The lottery provider applies the algorithm to the submitted validation code to create another encryption code for comparison with the record of encrypted codes. In the event a match is found, the player is entered into a second-chance or end of game drawing. Upon entry, the player is no longer required to maintain possession of the ticket for subsequent validation.

PRIORITY CLAIM

Applicant hereby claims priority to, and all benefits of, a previouslyfiled U.S. provisional application No. 60/839,049, entitled “System andMethod for Implementing a Second Game to Non-Winning Players of aLottery Game,” filed on Aug. 21, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lottery ticket games are sometimes discontinued because tickets awardingthe top prizes in the game have been sold out even though there mayexist many tickets remaining in the game for sale. For example, in mostinstant lottery ticket games, a set of tickets is printed with play orprize value indicia under a scratch-off coating according to apredetermined prize structure. Typically, the prize structure consistsof one or more large-value or ‘top’ prizes, a number of lesser valueprizes and a large number of tickets that are not prize winners. Theprize values in a game are imaged randomly on the tickets so that, intheory, each player has an equal chance to win one of the prizes.

In certain circumstances, however, problems have arisen as a game'stickets are sold and as the top prizes are claimed. There are, forinstance, certain lottery administrations in the United States that poston their web sites the remaining prizes within a game. As the game issold, the tickets having the various prizes are cashed, including thetop prizes; and the lottery will update the website with the remainingprizes within the game. In some cases, the game will still have asignificant number of tickets to be sold after the top prizes arecashed. This can lead to complaints from customers that it is no longerpossible to win one of the top prizes as advertised by the lotteryadministration in its general promotional literature.

Accordingly, an invention is desired that provides a secure means bywhich players who participated in a first lottery game can alsoparticipate in a subsequent lottery game using the same lottery ticketas used in the first game. The invention is particularly advantageousfor lottery games that would otherwise be discontinued due to theclaiming of top prizes as set forth above. However, the presentinvention is not limited to discontinued games and concerns moregenerally a lottery game that allows a secure means by which one or moreadditional games can be played using the same lottery ticket and a meansfor ensuring that a player in subsequent games had a valid ticketwithout necessarily requiring such player to maintain possession of suchticket for purposes of claiming a prize.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in thefollowing description, or may be obvious from the description, or may belearned through practice of the invention.

In general, the present invention provides for a system that manages asecure process that will encourage player interest throughout theduration of the game and in particular will guarantee that a top prizeis, in fact, available to players from the beginning of the game to theend of the game. This system can be best described as a ‘second chancedraw’; and although there are many examples of lottery customers usingsecond chance draws, the invention relates to the entire process asdescribed below.

One objective of the present invention is to provide for the computersoftware, files and processes that will verify that a ticket enteredinto a draw does, in fact, meet the criteria established and istherefore a viable entry into a second chance draw.

Another objective of the invention is to provide for the computersoftware and processes that will securely enable a lottery ticket playerto use the internet and thus enter a particular ticket into a game'sdraw.

Another objective of the invention is to provide for the computersoftware and processes that will securely enable a lottery ticket playerto enter certain player identification so that after a ticket is drawn,the player can be contacted and notified of his winnings.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide for the computersoftware, systems and processes that will securely warehouse the ticketidentification data and the player identification data.

It is still another object of the invention is to provide for thecomputer software, systems and processes that will securely enable alottery administration to host an electronic end-of-game (orsecond-chance) draw.

One or more of the above objectives is met by exemplary methods of thepresent invention as will now be set forth in summary form. In oneexemplary form, the present invention includes a method for implementinga second-chance game to players of a lottery game whereby tickets areprovided for the lottery game and wherein the tickets are each assigneda unique validation code. For example, the validation code may beprinted upon the ticket and covered with a coating that can be removed(e.g., scratched off) by the player. The validation code may be createdas a unique, alphanumeric sequence. An algorithm is applied to generatea unique, first encryption code for each ticket validation code. Thefirst encryption code is stored in a record. Tickets are distributed forpossession by players of the lottery game. The players, such asnon-winning players, are then allowed to submit the unique validationcodes from their respective tickets for registration with, for example,the provider of the lottery.

The algorithm is also applied to the submitted validation codes tocreate a second encryption code for each submitted validation code.Various algorithms may be used with the present invention. In onemethod, the MD5 algorithm is used. However, other suitable algorithmsmay be used and are within the scope of the present invention.

The second encryption codes are compared with the record of firstencryption codes to determine whether a match exists. A match providesreasonable assurance that the player has in his possession a ticket thatis eligible for the second chance draw. Conversely, a non-matchindicates that the player does not have an eligible ticket in hispossession. For the validation codes submitted by players that result inmatching encryption codes, such players are registered for thesecond-chance game. Player registration may be configured to include therecording of various identification information provided by the playerso that the player may be contacted if he or she wins the second-chancegame, for example. Where the validation code submitted by the playerdoes not result in matching encryption codes, the validation code can berejected and registration disallowed.

Submission of validation codes and player registration may be conducted,for example, by means of providing an internet accessible website.Various additional security precautions can be applied. For example, thewebsite can be configured to lock out a player submitting more than apredetermined number (e.g., three) of validation codes that do notresult in a matching encryption code. The player may be locked outindefinitely or for a predetermined amount of time. The validation codesubmitted by the player may also be used to determine whether suchvalidation code has already resulted in a registration for thesecond-chance game.

In another exemplary form, the present invention includes a method forimplementing an end of game drawing for a player of a lottery game. Arecord is stored that comprises a first encryption code that is createdfrom applying an algorithm to a unique validation code assigned to aticket provided to the player of the game. For example, this record maybe stored by the lottery for later access. Once the player has acquiredthe ticket, the player can submit the validation code to which the samealgorithm is also applied create a second encryption code. For example,the lottery provider may allow the player to enter the validation codethrough a website. The second encryption code is then compared with therecord to determine whether a match exists between the second encryptioncode and the first encryption code. If so, the player can then beregistered for the end of game drawing. Advantageously, havingregistered, the player is no longer required to maintain a ticket. If amatch does not exist between the second encryption code and the firstencryption code, then the player's attempt at registration can berejected. Several variations as previously indicated and as furtherdescribed below may also be applied to this exemplary method of thepresent invention as well.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustratemethods of the invention and, together with the description, serve toexplain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present subject matter, includingthe best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, isset forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appendedfigures, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 provide a flow chart illustration of an exemplary form ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary methods of theinvention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures.Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention and notmeant as a limitation of the invention. For example, featuresillustrated or described as part of one exemplary method can be usedwith another method to yield still a third method. It is intended thatthe present invention include these and other modifications andvariations.

There are at least four aspects among various exemplary methods of thepresent invention's solution to the problem of cashing the top prizesbefore all of a game's tickets are sold.

First, exemplary method of the present invention include a securemechanism to ensure that only qualified tickets are entered into thesecond-chance draw. The invention allows for the creation of a “hashed”or encrypted file of ticket information that allows a player to registerqualified tickets into the draw.

Second, exemplary methods of the present invention include a reliableand secure method of player registration such that ticket entries can berelated to a single player and, thus, the player can be notified in theevent of that player winning the draw.

Third, exemplary methods of the present invention provide a reliable andsecure method of entering or registering tickets (and thus a player'scontact information) into the draw.

Finally, exemplary methods of the present invention provide a reliableand secure process of conducting the electronic, second-chance draw,such that one and only one valid ticket is drawn from the population ofqualified entries; and that one and only one player is deemed the winnerof the second-chance draw.

FIGS. 1 and 2 provide a flow chart illustration for describing anexemplary form of the present invention. Ticket 110 represents a lotteryticket to be transferred to a lottery provider such as a state agencyoperating a lottery. Before being transferred to the lottery provider,several steps take place to prepare for a secure means of conducting asecond chance or end of game lottery using the same ticket 110.Initially, ticket 110 is printed with various indicia such as the nameof the game, price of the ticket, and/or the identity of the lotteryprovider. Typically, the ticket may include a bar code and/or otheridentification data printed onto the ticket. By way of example, ascratch-off, instant-win game is also provided on the face of theticket.

For this exemplary method of the invention, ticket 110 also includes aunique validation code 112 specific to a particular game being conductedby or for a particular lottery provider. Generally, for purposes ofsecurity, validation code 112 is covered by a removable coating intendedfor removal only by a player after purchasing ticket 110. Validation 112code may, for example, comprise a sequence of alphanumeric charactersthat are randomly generated. A game identifier, prize amount, or otherinformation may be associated with this validation code 112. Forexample, the sequence a player might see upon removing a scratch-offcoating might be “K123456789.” Numerous other variations may beemployed.

Once the validation codes 112 have been generated, the numbers areencrypted. For example, one method of encryption is referred to as“hashing” based on the use of a hashing algorithm 115. Exemplaryalgorithms commonly available that may be suitable include the MD5 orSHA-1 algorithms. Regardless, as set forth in step 100, an algorithm 115is used to convert the unique validation code 112 of each ticket into ahashed or encrypted validation code 120 (e.g., a first encryption code).More specifically, for each ticket, an open-source algorithm is appliedthat accepts as in input the validation code 112 that appears on aparticular ticket and converts that code to provide as an output a new,unique code referred to as the hashed validation code or hash value ofthe code that was input from the face of ticket 110. The algorithm 115always returns the same hash value output 120 each time the samevalidation code 112 is provided as an input. Some currently knownalgorithms may, however, provide what is referred to as “collisions.”The MD5 algorithm, for example, will provide the same hash outputliterally each time the same validation code is provided as an input.However, the MD5 algorithm may provide the same output for two differentinputs. Nevertheless, the probability that two different input codeswill “hash” to the same output is considered to be statisticallyinsignificant. In addition, safeguards against having duplicate hashedcodes in a particular game are avoided by simply examining all of thehashed numbers 120 generated for a particular game to see if anyduplicates were in fact generated. For example, this inspection could beperformed rapidly by a subroutine programmed into software that includesthe algorithm 115.

Along with a record (e.g., electronic file) of the hashed validationcodes 120, tickets 110 with unique validation numbers 112 aretransferred to a lottery provider who stores the record of hashedvalidation numbers 130 as illustrated schematically in step 125 ofFIG. 1. Where the transfer of hashed validation numbers is accomplishedelectronically, various methods may be used to provide for a securetransfer. For example, the transfer of an electronic file containing thehashed validation numbers may utilize a pgp file encryption process thatmakes use of a confidential key for accessing the file. One of skill inthe art will understand, using the teachings disclosed herein, thatother suitable secure transfer methods may also be utilized.

Tickets 110 are eventually provided to players by, for example, purchaseat retail establishment. Typically, the player then takes part in alottery game referred to herein as the first lottery game. The presentinvention is not limited to any particular type of lottery game and oneof skill in the art, using the teachings disclosed herein, willrecognize that numerous game types may be used. For example, multipletypes of scratch-off lottery games using instant tickets could beapplied with the present invention. More than one game could be appliedto the same ticket as well.

Regardless, for this exemplary method of the present invention, once theplayer has taken part in the game available on the ticket, an additionalgame is made available. More specifically, should the player not win aprize in the first lottery game, according to this exemplary form of thepresent invention, the player may then register the validation code 112into the lottery provider's database as shown in step 140. For example,the player may use his or her home computer 145 to access the lotteryprovider's website on the internet and thereby enter the uniquevalidation code 112 from the face of the ticket 110 into the provider'ssystem. Then, using the same algorithm 115 previously utilized to createthe hashed validation codes 120 originally as in step 100, the lotteryprovider hashes the validation code 112 as entered by the player. Theresulting hash code 135 (e.g., a second encryption code) is thencompared with the previously created record of hashed codes 130 for thisparticular lottery game.

If the same, i.e., a matching, hashed validation code 120 (i.e., thefirst encryption code) is found in the record 130 previously created instep 100, the lottery provider is then assured that the player has avalid ticket 110. If a match is not found, the entry is rejected. If amatch is found, but the match corresponds to a previously registeredticket, the entry is rejected. Several additional measures can beundertaken to increase the accuracy of the validation process of step140. For example, to discourage players from attempting to enternon-authentic validation codes, the lottery provider's website caninclude a lock-out feature that blocks any player who attempts more thana predetermined number of times (e.g., three) to enter a validation codethat is not authentic. The lock-out can be permanent or only for apredetermined time period.

At the same time the player registers ticket 110, the player can also beprompted to provide additional identifying information such as name,address, telephone number, and/or email address. By providing thisinformation from a valid ticket 110, this exemplary method of thepresent invention allows the player the convenience of discarding (orperhaps losing) the actual ticket 110 once the ticket has beenregistered and validated by the lottery provider's website. The lotteryprovider can simply contact the player directly should the ticket 110prove to be a winner in a subsequent drawing. Furthermore, the lotteryprovider may also catalog this information for use in advertising orcontacting the player for other purposes.

Regardless, as illustrated in step 150, once the lottery providervalidates the ticket by finding a matching hash number that was notpreviously submitted, the ticket is registered into a database or otherrecord 155 and the player is now eligible for a lottery drawing, whichmay be referred to herein as a second chance drawing or end of gamedraw. Accordingly, the player is provided with another chance to winplaying the lottery game using the same ticket 110. Furthermore, even ifwinners have already been announced for the first or previous lotterydrawings in the lottery game and perhaps at a time before all ticketsprinted for the game have been sold, the lottery provider should stillbe able to sell remaining tickets because players still have anopportunity to win in a second chance or end of game drawing.Additionally, by controlling the content of the record or database ofhashed numbers, the lottery provider can ensure that only players whodid not win in the first or previous lottery are eligible for anysubsequent or end of game lottery. For example, the lottery provider mayallow the database of hashed numbers to be created only from ticketsthat did not create winners in the first lottery. Alternatively, asdesired, the lottery provider may allow all players, including winnersfrom the first lottery, to participate in a subsequent or end of gamelottery. Either way, using the validated ticket entries, the lotteryprovider conducts a second or end of game drawing 165 as shown in step160 to create one or more additional winners 170.

Although preferred methods of the invention have been disclosed in theforegoing specification, it is understood by those skilled in the artthat many modifications and other methods of the invention will come tomind to which the invention pertains, having the benefit of the teachingpresented in the foregoing description and associated drawings.Moreover, although specific terms are employed herein, they are used ina generic and descriptive sense only, and not for the purposes oflimiting the described invention.

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a second-chance game toplayers of a lottery game, comprising the steps of: producing ticketsfor the lottery game, including printing a unique validation code oneach ticket; with a computer system, applying an algorithm to generate aunique, first encryption code for each ticket validation code; storingthe first encryption code in the computer system so that the firstencryption code and algorithm are present only as electronic data in thecomputer system and the tickets are free of the first encryption codeand algorithm; distributing the tickets for possession by players of thelottery game; providing for players to access the computer system andsubmit the unique validation codes for registration in the second-chancegame; the computer system applying the algorithm to the submittedvalidation codes to create a second encryption code for each submittedvalidation code; the computer system comparing the second encryptioncode with the record of first encryption codes to determine whether amatch exists; registering players for the second-chance game when suchplayers submit a validation code that results in a match; and conductinga subsequent lottery drawing for all validated ticket entries in thesecond-chance game.
 2. A method for implementing a second-chance game toplayers of a lottery game as in claim 1, wherein said registering stepcomprises recording identification information provided by the player.3. A method for implementing a second-chance game to players of alottery game as in claim 1, further comprising the step of rejecting asubmitted validation code where there is no match between the secondencryption code and the record of first encryption codes.
 4. A methodfor implementing a second-chance game to players of a lottery game as inclaim 1, wherein said step of providing for players to submit the uniquevalidation code comprises providing a website accessible over theinternet by which players may access the computer system and provide theunique validation code from the ticket.
 5. A method for implementing asecond-chance game to players of a lottery game as in claim 4, whereinthe website locks out a player who submits three validation codes thatdo not result in a match.
 6. A method for implementing a second-chancegame to players of a lottery game as in claim 4, wherein for apredetermined period of time the website locks out a player who submitsthree validation codes that do not result in a match.
 7. A method forimplementing a second-chance game to players of a lottery game as inclaim 1, wherein said comparing step further comprises determiningwhether a validation code that results in a matching first and secondencryption code has already been submitted.
 8. A method for implementinga second-chance game to players of a lottery game as in claim 1, whereinthe lottery tickets are instant-win scratch-off tickets and thevalidation number on the ticket is printed under a coating on theinstant-win scratch-off ticket that is removable by a player.
 9. Amethod for implementing a second-chance game to players of a lotterygame as in claim 1, wherein the algorithm is the MD5 algorithm.
 10. Amethod for implementing a second-chance game to players of a lotterygame as in claim 1, wherein the algorithm provides the same uniqueencryption number for each entry of a particular validation code.
 11. Amethod for implementing a second-chance game to players of a lotterygame as in claim 1, where the validation code is an alphanumeric code.